How To Control Your Phone Bills

Smartphones are full of adverts. It’s getting increasingly hard to buy phones without app stores and music services where users can buy direct on the phone, so how do you ensure both you and your family don’t run up huge costs on mobile phones?

Set spending controls

Before settling on a budget, you should talk to your kids to understand what THEY want to spend money on. Texting might be important to you, but youngsters may prefer data for internet browsing.

Cheap pay-as-you-go handsets are perfect for youngsters, with a limit on spending, and low prices (meaning they are ideal for clumsy users too). They can’t spend more than what they have, so it’s very simple to limit their spending.

If you decide to do pay-monthly (where you get a set amount of texts, calls and data) remember that this isn’t restrictive unless you make it so. Remember, if you sign up to a contract on behalf of your child, you are liable for the charges they incur.

Insist on a paper, itemised bill and discuss this with them. It can also act as a good introduction to the basics of budgeting. Password-protecting the app store (via a free app such as Android’s App Lock) can help control spending - and inspire discussion about apps and which to buy.

Even if the main reason you bought your child a phone was so they could phone in an emergency setting spending limits on phones does NOT compromise your child’s safety. For example, Vodafone’s free Guardian app permits calls to designated phone numbers (parents, for example) and to Childline even if a phone is out of credit.

Be wary of ‘free’ apps

One of the most important things to realise is that “free” apps are never free - you just pay more later when buying new levels, or gems or crystals to speed a game up.  This situation has improved after tabloid headlines about “in-app” purchases costing parents thousands - one Smurfs game had an in-app purchase costing £70. Reading app descriptions (and user reviews) can warn of hidden costs.

Even ‘big name’ games such as Hearthstone on iPad rely on people paying real money. New cards come in packs priced £2, £13, £40. This will quickly add up.

There is no point fighting this as people prefer ‘freemium’ to outright prices. Just keep an eye out and be wary of recurring subscriptions for using apps.

Set a password

The app stores on both iPhone and Android have options to password protect purchases. This means children cannot buy new apps, or in-app extras without that password. Ensure this is a password they don’t know (and you do). This protects against impulse buys and encourages children to discuss purchases with you.

Both Android and iPhone also let you set a timer - so that it’s not required for a short period after it’s been entered. It’s safer to remove this option, and require a password for EVERY purchase.

Use Wi-Fi to cut your bills

Almost all models of smartphone will offer Wi-Fi connections which is a great way to cut data bills. Explain to children that some apps (iPlayer for instance) consume data very quickly, and are best used via Wi-Fi rather than your phone’s 3G or 4G connection. Don’t leave Wi-Fi running all day, though, as it drains your battery. Turn it on when you need it.

There are over 5 million free Wi-Fi hotspots in the UK and many restaurants, coffee shops and airports offer free, or cheap Wi-Fi too – so make sure you use those where you can.

Make sure you turn roaming off when abroad

We’ve all heard the stories of holidaymakers getting stung by an incredibly large bill on their return to Blighty.

You can buy pre-pay plans from your network provider that can give you an allowance of data, calls and texts with tons of options to suit your needs. They are more expensive than your regular plan but SO much cheaper than running up unplanned costs.

Failing that, make sure you turn off your mobile data, 3G or 4G and Data Roaming and stick to pre-paid Wi-Fi if you can.